Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-04-29
thanksgiving in the Army.

thanksgiving in the Army.
tbe battle of Gettysburg, in 1868,
one hundred and sixty officers and
N the Ninety-fourth New York, to-
| with our Colonel, A. r. Root, were
prisoners. We were offered the pa
90 to Richmond. The Colonel said
"Boys, you had better take the
4 10 which we agreed, and were
after the battle. The most of us
French furlough and went home for
+ making q visit at home we returned
Ebjneton, where we found there was
er for all Ninety-fourth boys taken
ers at Gettysburg to report to Camp
F. Annapolis, Md. Therefore oil who
there was such ON order out reported
np Parole, where We found Colonel
in command of the camp. There
bout sixty of us who reported there,
ee we're given quarters in q brick
close by the Colonel's headquarters.
once became the provost guard of
np, and were rather privileged char
as soldiers. We were looked up to
J g upright and perfect in all our do
also in keeping others straight and
lg no thieving and jayhawking to go
lie country thereabouts.
he honor (if there was any attached
posiion) of having charge of the
and | reported all doings and mis-
to the Colonel. Things went along
bly,, and the old Colonel was proud
Rnd we were proud of him, for we
having u nice time, our first and only
while in the service for three and
years.
[ly Thanksgiving Day of that year
Fse at hand, and we naturally wanted
Thanksgiving dinner, when the
pa came up, What shall we have?"
bks says: Let US go down to the
ID buy some turkeys, and have roast
~ says: ct will cost so much, we
raise the scrip"
says: Let us make q raid on the
Dave French says, "that will not
that would give US away, and We
then be sent back to the 'front.'"
Smith says: II will tell you what to
.et US have roast goose"
fley McComber says: 81 know of an
rlner over here a few miles who is
ng some geese and think 1 can buy
three of them dog on cheap"
boys all agreed then to have goose
Lanksgrving dinner, and up went the
ND three cheers for the geese. The
Question was, How shall We roast
King, our cook, says: "You get the
and | will see that they are roasted
|l;ted in good shape"
how will you do it?" said L.
fald he would build q brick over in
round. So the day before Thanks
King went to work and built his
BY digging a hole in the ground and
9 1t over with brick; built q fire and
In good shape for the morrow.
I night Charley McComber (whom we
Mack for short) says that John
Banty Conkling, Dave French,
Wider, John King, and myself should
u nm to help fetch the geese, also to
Fay for them. About three o'clock
fanesday We started down the Chesa-
bay. We went to u place where We
ur boat tfor we had built q boat for
fP,ose Of fishing for oysters and hunt
PcSs), and Mack says: "You see.
feross the bay there is q large farm
standing on that rise close to the
That is the place We can get our
or u Thanksgiving dinner"
says l, that is SO far away We
90 there and get back tonight; be-
|.lere Is danger Of our getting lost or
no, not in the least" says he; "the
sui and it is only about three
! Smith and Banty get in the boat
Ne, while the other three boys stay
ma when it gets dark you can build a
y neat 1.-THE water for we had brought q
As';is with us), aud then we will also
sNide or beacon light to get back
greed; we stepped into the boat and
on; long before we were across il
ih' and we We're guided by the light
he farm house. After awhile we
"ea IN landing, and all got out and
"f boat up on land a little so it would
. US, and then went up around the
70 reconnoiter.
soon found a small yard made Of
h1 1t was SO high that I could mo-
me top rail.
says: Here are the geese" ant
Hold on! Had We not bette,
~ house and see the proprietor
says: ITO the deuce with the pro
we are q good ways from home
wv much of q hurry to bother witt
y says; "we have not had any pa,
'u1 while, and money is a littl'
IN us. He can wait until mex
: All right; here goes," and we all
t hns ience and over We went. 70.
lave heard those geese yell.